Sony’s $30,000 4K short-throw projector hides powerful sound

We’ve been eying Sony’s short-throw projectors for the past few years, but they’ve always been too obscenely expensive to really take seriously. Well, that’s not changing this year. In fact, the new LSPX-A1 is actually more expensive than last year’s $25, 000 model at $30, 000. But, with that extra cost comes a major new feature: six speakers that simulate 360-degree atmospheric sound. The LSPX-A1 also looks like more of a high-end piece of furniture, with its sleek marble top and wooden shelf. Those two glass feet also act as tweeters, thanks to built-in actuators. And, of course, there’s a subwoofer hiding underneath. In a brief demo, the projector did a decent job of spitting out a 120-inch 4K image from just 9.6-inches feet away from a wall. It wasn’t astoundingly bright, but that could have been due to the less-than-ideal viewing conditions. One major downside: While it supports HDR10, there’s no Dolby Vision. In terms of sound, the six speakers easily managed to fill a small conference room which was about the size of a typical living room. But while it’s nice to have an all-in-one speaker solution, it didn’t actually sound like something that cost $30, 000. I’ve heard $500 speakers with a better sense of detail and presence. Honestly, though, this projector isn’t meant for a discerning audience — it’s for folks with money to burn. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

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About Ken May

Kenneth May is a certified cybersecurity professional. He and his team offer services such as Advanced Vulnerability Assessments, Network Penetration Testing, Web Application Penetration Testing, and a wide array of compliance services covering HIPAA, PCI, and the various NIST & DOD requirements. Ken is a Community mentor for SANS, the largest Cybersecurity certification preparation company in the world, and carries both the GSEC and GPEN (Certified Ethical Hacker and Penetration Tester) certifications. He has recently been accepted into the FBI’s Infragard program, as a recognized protector of critical national infrastructure. This program gives him deep access to information and resources to protect his clients.